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The Occupation Of Gardening And Its Therapeutic Benefits For Children

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This essay will present an in-depth critique of the research literature exploring the occupation of gardening and its therapeutic benefits for children.
Gardening is the activity of planting, cultivating and tending (Oxford dictionary 2015). The origins of gardening, and its fulfilment of a human need, date back to 1500bc where archaeologists discovered ancient paintings of opulent gardens by the Egyptians (Cellauro 2015). Recognition of the benefits of gardening as a therapeutic tool in occupational therapy date back to Hartwell (1933). It provides opportunities for social inclusion which is a central component in well-being (Grabbe et al 2013).
As healthcare has developed over the last few hundred years so has the understanding that gardening is therapeutic (Wilcock 2001). Today there is an established evidence base which supports the theory that gardening has significant therapeutic benefits, across all stages of the lifecycle, promoting recovery and general health and well-being (Wideman and Sadlo 2015). The increasing existence of gardening charities here in the UK and abroad are a testament to its strong evidence base (Google 2015).

Relevant research was sourced from Cardiff University online E-Journal resource, JSTOR online database, Sage Publications and general scholar internet searches. Key terms such as ‘gardening for children’ ‘occupational therapy and gardening’ were used.
The critique of the literature identified the potential use of gardening as a
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